The series features both 2D platform games, the first of which has been Super Mario Bros., as well as 3D platform games, the first of which has been Super Mario 64. Most of these games, notably excluding Super Mario Bros. 2, follow the story of Mario and, usually, his brother Luigi and sometimes his best friend Yoshi, in their quest to search for and rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser, who wants to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom or another location, depending on the game. The Mario Brothers' adventure is not easy, however, as they must face Bowser's troops throughout, who attempt to thwart the brothers' attempts to rescue the princess.

In 2010, the series celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the release of Super Mario Bros. The celebration involved a series of videos showing various tricks throughout the series' games on the Wii's Nintendo Channel, as well as releasing a Wii port of Super Mario All-Stars, which included a history booklet of the Super Mario series and a CD containing several songs from games in the series. In 2015, the series celebrated its thirty anniversary with the commemorative game being Super Mario Maker, a game creation platform game that allows players to create their own Mario levels by choosing between four game skins based on other Super Mario games. Special amiibo based on Mario's classic and modern design were released as well.

List of games

Main games

On September 13, 1985, Mario starred in his very first game outside of the arcades, Super Mario Bros.. Mario, and his brother Luigi, had to set out on a massive adventure across the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom Retainers from the evil King Bowser. After traversing through eight massive worlds, filled with enemies, the brothers eventually reached Bowser's Castle, finally rescuing Princess Toadstool. Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling video game for the NES in 1999,[1] and, until surpassed by Wii Sports in 2009, the best-selling video game of all time. Super Mario Bros. also had a major part in both the takeoff of the NES and the revival of the American video game industry after the crash in 1983. The game earned Mario a permanent position as Nintendo's mascot, and triggered a massive boom in the video game industry that still continues today.

After the extreme success of Super Mario Bros., a sequel was released just one year later in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System. It uses a slightly altered version of Super Mario Bros.'s engine, with different levels and new features including altered graphics and new enemy behavior, such as Bloopers flying in midair, wind to help the player jump across abysses, and other minor changes.

While it was called Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan, Nintendo of America originally deemed this game too challenging and too much like the original to sell well in western countries[2]. Instead, another game was ported as Super Mario Bros. 2, and the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 became known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels when included in the Super Mario All-Stars port years later. It saw release in its original form in the West only when released on the Virtual Console in 2007.

Owing to the western branches of Nintendo feeling that the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 was too similar to the first game and too difficult for U.S. players, they instead chose to port the the Japanese game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and release it as Super Mario Bros. 2 in their markets for the NES. New species first appear in this game, including Albatoss and Shy Guys, and it introduces Wart and Birdo. Super Mario Bros. 2 is also the first game to feature four distinctly playable characters, as Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad had to save the dream world of Subcon from the diabolical Wart. After fighting their way through seven strange worlds, they eventually saved Subcon, and Mario woke up from his dream.

Despite being a port of a pre-existing Japanese game, the western SMB2 would eventually see release in its own right in Japan as Super Mario USA.

Another two years had passed by the time the next mainstream, non-port Mario game had been released: Super Mario Bros. 3. This was by far the most expansive Mario game on the NES, as it featured many levels, items & enemies, and became a huge critical and commercial success. Many of the new species would become staples of the series, including Boos, Fire Piranha Plants and Dry Bones. In the story, Bowser and his seven Koopalings wreaked havoc across the Mushroom World after turning all of the Mushroom Kings into various animals. Mario and Luigi had to traverse through many worlds, castles, seas, forests, and deserts to fix the wrongs the Koopalings had caused. Eventually, the brothers reached Bowser and defeated him, rescuing Princess Toadstool once again.

One year after the release of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World had been released on a whole new home console — the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was with this game that the Mario series had been upgraded from 8-bit to 16-bit graphics. Though the games' graphics would later be revolutionized once again, this was indeed a huge step at the time. During the story of Super Mario World, while Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool were vacationing in Dinosaur Land, Bowser and his seven Koopalings once again kidnapped the Princess. With the help of the Yoshis and Dolphins, the brothers traversed across the vast area of Dinosaur Land. As they made their way to Princess Toadstool, they thwarted each Koopaling who stood in their way until they reached Bowser. Once again, Bowser had been defeated and Princess Toadstool had been rescued.

Not long after the release of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Nintendo released a new system and a new game — Super Mario 64. The game was a great success. It was the first fully 3-dimensional Mario game to ever be made, thus revolutionizing the appearance of Mario games to date. The game sold over eleven million copies by 2007.[3] Because the game had such amazing success, people began to create rumors of glitches[4] and unlockables in the game. Perhaps one of the most notable rumors was that Luigi was a playable character in the game.[5] This was also the second game to call Princess Peach by her current name (with Yoshi's Safari being the first). In the game, Mario was invited to Princess Peach's Castle to eat a cake she had baked. However, when Mario arrived at her castle, he had discovered that Bowser had taken it over and had stolen almost all of the castle's Power Stars— there were some which he did not know existed. As Mario traversed through fifteen different painting worlds, he eventually recovered enough Power Stars to battle Bowser and take back the castle, freeing Peach from her stained-glass prison.

In 2002, Mario was back in action in his own three-dimensional platformer once again. While on his way to a vacation with Princess Peach and her loyal steward, Toadsworth, they discover a large glob of Graffiti in the shape of Mario's head at Delfino Airstrip. Mario then finds an interesting machine, called F.L.U.D.D., that helps him rid the island of Graffiti. After he collects a total of ten Shine Sprites, an impostor bearing a striking resemblance to Mario kidnaps Princess Peach. Mario then must redeem his identity (because of Shadow Mario) by ridding the entire island of Graffiti, all the while having to rescue Princess Peach. Towards the end of his adventure, he discovers that Shadow Mario is actually Bowser Jr. in disguise. After fighting Bowser and his son, Mario rescues Princess Peach, finally allowing them to start their vacation.

New Super Mario Bros. is the eighth installment in the Super Mario series. It starts out when Bowser Jr. kidnaps Peach during a strange accident. Luigi is playable in this game as well. Luigi was not playable since Super Mario World. This is the first game since Super Mario World (1990) that features the classic 2D play-style of the Super Mario Bros. games. The game features a solo story mode with Mario or Luigi, a two-player wireless game Mario vs. Luigi, as well as a mini-game mode for up to four players. It was released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS. It spiraled an indirect follow-up, New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Super Mario Galaxy is the ninth installment in the Super Mario series and the third 3D game in the series. However, unlike the previous two 3D installments for the Mario series, this game takes place in deep space. Mario attends the Star Festival at the request of Princess Peach, when the town comes under attack by Bowser's air forces. He abducts Peach's entire castle and warps it to the center of the universe, prompting Mario to save her. Most of the game's levels consist of many small planets and planetoids, while others have bigger planets. A new popular species and character appear, Luma and Rosalina. It was released in 2007 for the Wii. This game spiraled a direct sequel, simply called Super Mario Galaxy 2. It is currently the only 3D game that has done so.

The indirect follow-up to New Super Mario Bros. for the DS, New Super Mario Bros. Wii was released in November 12, 2009 in Australia. This installment includes four players simultaneously controlling their characters, a feature Shigeru Miyamoto had wanted for years. This game also returns the Koopalings, absent since Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, in their first 3-D models. In the story, Bowser and his minions kidnap Peach by using cake as a disguise. Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad travel to eight worlds to save the princess. This game also reintroduces rideable Yoshis, although they can only be ridden in a few levels. The Penguin Suit and the Propeller Mushroom are new power-ups in this game. This game also includes the Super Guide, a demo video for those who are struggling in a particular level.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the eleventh installment in the Super Mario series. It is also the fourth 3D game in the series. The sequel contains many elements from its predecessor, such as the story, the adventure being in outer space, recurring objects such as Launch Stars, recurring items including the Bee Mushroom, and the elements of gravity. However, the game introduces new elements such as the utilization of Yoshi and new power-ups such as the Cloud Flower. Rosalina reappears and new characters of the Luma species appear including Lubba. This is the third installment for the Wii in the Super Mario series.

Super Mario 3D Land is the fifth 3D game in the series, and the twelfth game overall. The levels of Super Mario 3D Land are much more linear and compact than the other 3D titles, more along the lines of the side-scrolling games. Many retro power-ups and characters return, such as Bowser Impostors, the Super Leaf and Boom Boom. New power-ups are also introduced, such as Boomerang Mario, and White Tanooki Mario. It also introduces new enemies and a female partner of Boom Boom named Pom Pom.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is another side-scroller in the series released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS. It's the third game in the New Super Mario Bros. line and a direct sequel to New Super Mario Bros. The game features an extremely large amount of coins, which are one of the game's main elements. Raccoon Mario makes a return. A new power-up called the Gold Flower appears and turns Mario into Gold Mario.

New Super Mario Bros. U is a side-scroller for the Wii U. The game seems to borrow some elements from Super Mario World such as Baby Yoshis, Sumo Bros., Bony Beetles, etc. and minor references like diagonal pipes making a return. The game plays very similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii with its four-player mode— however, a player with a Wii U GamePad can create platforms in what Nintendo refers to as "Boost Mode". It is the first Super Mario game (and Mario game overall) to be released in high-definition. The game also introduces a new form, Flying Squirrel Mario.

Super Mario 3D World is the home console follow-up to Super Mario 3D Land. The game's main feature is the Cat Mario transformation, caused by picking up a Super Bell. It also features the entire playable cast of Super Mario Bros. 2 as playable characters, featuring the same abilities they have in said game. The story follows Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad as they attempt to rescue the Sprixie Princesses that Bowser has captured and free the Sprixie Kingdom.

An upcoming open world platform game titled Super Mario Odyssey is set to be released on Nintendo Switch in late 2017. A new entry in the 3D games, it focuses on Mario visiting an unknown world with areas resembling real world locations. This time, he is accompanied by a sentient hat named Cappy, who has multiple uses, such as being thrown like a boomerang (which can be used to control life forms and inanimate objects) and jumping off of it in midair like a platform. Mario will be on pursuit of Bowser, who intends to force marry Princess Peach in said unknown world. In addition, it is set to be the first main Super Mario game to be compatible with amiibo, and is intended to launch alongside a trio of amiibo based on the game.

Additional games

During the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. the games considered part of the Super Mario series were listed in official material[6]. On pages 238 to 255 of the Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros. all the games released on consoles made by Nintendo and featuring Mario were listed as well, indicating the grade of involvement of Mario in them and indicating as well which games were part of the Super Mario series. In both media two additional games were listed as being part of the Super Mario series, that are also part of the Super Mario Land series. These games are also included as part of the Super Mario game collection in the Mario Portal website, an official portal website dedicated to the Mario franchise, operated by Nintendo Co., Ltd.[7]

Super Mario Land is the first Super Mario game not developed by Nintendo EAD but rather its partner division: Nintendo R&D1. The game features a similar aesthetic and gameplay to Super Mario Bros. adapting it to the limited technology of the Game Boy at the time. The game is set in the land of Sarasaland and has Mario venture through its four kingdoms to rescue its ruler Princess Daisy from the clutches of the evil alien Tatanga. This game is unique in that it features auto-scrolling shooting sections where Mario ride a submarine or plane.

The sequel to the original Super Mario Land, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins features aesthetics and gameplay from Super Mario World. After returning from rescuing Daisy in the previous game, Mario discovers his realm of Mario Land has been seized by Wario and has took control of his castle by scattering his 6 Golden Coins. Mario now must venture through the enemy-infested Mario Land to recover his valuable coins and get access to his castle and confront Wario once and for all.

Related games

These original games are related to the Super Mario series, while not officially being considered part of it. An important case is that of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, which is considered by Shigeru Miyamoto as part of the core Mario series.[8] The Mario Portal website listed Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Run as part of the Super Mario game collection.[7]

Super Mario Bros. Special was made by Hudson Soft for the Sharp X1 and NEC PC88 series of Japanese PCs, and officially licensed by Nintendo. Super Mario Bros. Special was the first licensed sequel to Super Mario Bros. to appear, released a few months before Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in 1986. While superficially very similar to the original Super Mario Bros., the game features original levels but scrolls screen-by-screen rather than smoothly. Jumping and running physics also differ from the original, providing a more challenging experience than Super Mario Bros. Due to the computers' technology being slightly inferior to that of the NES/Famicom, the graphics and audio differ from the original NES game as well, with the X1 utilising more colors and smoother scrolling than the PC88, and does not include Luigi or a multiplayer mode.

While the title suggests it being a sequel, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is in fact the prequel not only to the Super Mario series but the whole Mario franchise. The game starts off on the day the Mario Bros. were born and are to be delivered to their parents by a dedicated stork. Foretelling the threat they will represent to the Koopa clan in the future, Kamek tries to kidnap the babies from the stork but only manages to snatch one baby (Baby Luigi) and imprisons stork as well. The other baby (Baby Mario) falls on Yoshi's Island where he is picked by the Yoshis that reside in there. The Yoshis come to the decision to aid the baby to rescue his brother and the stork from the Koopa clan led by the young Baby Bowser.

New Super Luigi U is an additional content pack for New Super Mario Bros. U that was also released as a stand-alone game to celebrate the Year of Luigi, available at retail until the end of the 2013. It has all-new levels and Luigi supplants Mario as the lead character, with Nabbit becoming the fourth playable character, taking Mario's place.

Super Mario Maker features a game creation system that allows player to create their own 2D Super Mario levels. Players can choose between four different styles based on Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U for their levels, each adapting certain mechanics and power-ups exclusive to the original games. Level creations can be submitted to the internet so players can share their levels worldwide. Super Mario Maker was released on time for the series's 30th anniversary.

Super Mario Run is a side-scrolling, auto-runner platform game and the first dedicated Mario title for mobile devices. It was released first on iOS on December 2016, and was released for Android on March 2017. The game is free-to-play, with optional in-app content to purchase.

Ports, remakes, and compilations

Title

Cover, original release, and system

Synopsis

Vs. Super Mario Bros.

1986 Arcade Machine

VS. Super Mario Bros. is a two-player arcade game released in Japan in 1986. The game is mostly the same as the original Super Mario Bros.; Mario or Luigi went on a quest to save the princess from Bowser and restore order to the Mushroom Kingdom. The game is made harder than Super Mario Bros. in that it had fewer warp zones and more enemies, along with options for the arcade owner to make it more difficult still and thus restrict the time an average player got for their money. The game replaced "duplicate" levels from the original with levels which would later be used in the Japanese Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

In 1987, two years after the release of Nintendo's first biggest commercial success, the company released a simplified remake of the game on their Game & Watch system. Being a remake of the game, it essentially has the same plot, reduced down to only eight levels; however, after beating every level, they will have to be repeated. Mario will have to go through nine loops, avoiding Lakitus and Bullet Bills, each time with the levels increasing in difficulty. There are also two types of levels: scroll screen levels, in which Mario will have to reach a certain point to advance, and timer screen levels, in which Mario must get through the world in a given amount of time. Additionally, another difference between the original and this remake is that Mario will find Princess Toadstool at the end of every level, without having to fight a boss.

Super Mario All-Stars, known as Super Mario Collection in Japan, was released in 1993 also for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a compilation featuring 16-bit versions of the first four main Super Mario series games. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3 and, in its first release outside of Japan, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. This game updated the four games' graphics and sound to enhance them, with certain changes to the mechanics. A Wii rerelease, called Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition, occurred in 2010.

A pseudo-sequel to Super Mario USA (Super Mario Bros. 2), BS Super Mario USA was released as four installments, and each one involved the player heading into each world to collect a gold Mario statue and defeat the bosses until finally reaching and defeating Wart. Each level could be replayed until the clock reached 50 minutes. As the player progressed, St. Giga's Satellite radio would stream an audio drama to tell the story. After the events of Super Mario Bros. 2, the King of Subcon had golden Mario statues put up all around Subcon, to thank him and his friends for their deeds. However, three Birdos, Mouser, Tryclyde, Fryguy and Clawgrip have stolen them, and now Mario must get them back and defeat Wart again.

A remake of Super Mario Collection, (Super Mario All-Stars in North America) BS Super Mario Collection is a game for the Super Famicom add-on Satellaview. Like with BS Super Mario USA, as the player progressed through the game, voice acting and music would be streamed to the system using the Satellaview's Soundlink capabilities.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is a Game Boy Color remake which includes the first two Super Mario games ever released: Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (that last under the name of Super Mario Bros.: For Super Players). Besides those games, it also featured many other collectibles, including images that could be printed with the Game Boy Printer, Cable Link interface multi-player, records sharing by infrared connection, a calendar, a fortune teller, etc. Unlike other remakes, it wasn't developed by Nintendo EAD, but by Nintendo R&D2.

Super Mario Advance is a remake of Super Mario Bros. 2 made for the handheld game system, the Game Boy Advance, and released in 2001. Like the Super Mario All-Stars port, Super Mario Advance had updated graphics.

Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 is a remake of Super Mario World made for the Game Boy Advance. It is the second title in the Super Mario Advance series and was released in 2002. There are various differences between the original Super Mario World and Super Mario Advance 2. The game was a gigantic hit for Nintendo and the Game Boy Advance, selling 3,290,000 copies in the North America and 5,460,000 copies worldwide. Additionally, Luigi's sprite has been changed and made taller than Mario to match his normal appearance, and the Mario Bros. classic game has been included in the game (like the other Mario Advance games), with multiplayer playable.

In 2003, the fourth entry in the Super Mario Advance series, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, was released for the Game Boy Advance. It boasted similar graphics and sound to the Super Mario All-Stars version, and made use of the e-Reader. A few e-cards came included with new copies of the game, while two sets (referred to as "series") of cards, were released and sold alongside the game. By scanning special cards into the e-Reader, players were able to upload items, videos, and most importantly, new levels into the game. One notable item was the Cape Feather from Super Mario World, which allowed Mario to transform into Cape Mario. There were also two Switch cards that the player could activate (and deactivate) the effects of by scanning them; the Orange Switch and the Blue Green Switch. Scanning these switches triggered small functions in the game. The e-Reader feature is still available in the European version, but it is disabled by default and unable to access.

The original NES version of Super Mario Bros. was released for the Game Boy Advance as part of the Classic NES series of games in commemoration for the 20th anniversary of the release of the original Famicom and NES. It is a direct port, and as a result features no new additions or bugfixes. Consequently, the only significant difference is that the graphics were downscaled to fit the GBA screen resolution.

In Japan, the Classic NES Series were known as Famicom Mini. The original Super Mario Bros. 2 (known in western regions as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels) was released only in Japan. Much like Super Mario Bros., it didn't feature any new additions, the bugs were left untouched, and the graphics were down-scaled.

Super Mario 64 DS is a remake of Super Mario 64. It was released in 2004 for the Nintendo DS. It is also the first Mario game released for the Nintendo DS. Though it is a remake, there are many differences between it and the original (four playable characters and 30 new Power Stars are two examples of this). The game begins the same as the old one; Peach invites Mario to the castle for cake. However, instead of just Mario, Wario and Luigi come for cake, while Yoshi sleeps on the roof of the castle. Bowser then takes over the castle, captures Peach, and locks Mario, Luigi, and Wario inside three rooms. Lakitu then wakes Yoshi up, and now he has to save Mario and the others in order to save the princess once again, this time through teamwork.

Released for the Wii in 2010, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition celebrates the 25th anniversary of Mario featuring the same games as mentioned in the All-Stars section. It is a port of Super Mario All-Stars.

A port for the Wii U game released in 2015, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS was released on December 2, 2016. Despite being a Nintendo 3DS title, the game does not support stereoscopic 3D, and gameplay is therefore strictly available in 2D. Players will be unable to share their levels online and other elements from the Wii U version, like the Mystery Mushrooms and amiibo compatibility, will be absent.

Major characters

It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information.

Main protagonists

Character

Image

Brief biography

First appearance

Mario

Mario is the main protagonist in his titular series of games. Throughout almost thirty years, Mario has been the star of the largest game franchise Nintendo has published. Many characters have fought alongside Mario in his adventures in platformers and RPGs, but many have also fought against him during those times. Mario has gone through many physical changes, from his original 8-bit appearance, to his current 128-bit appearance. Mario commonly rescues Princess Peach, as well as several others, such as Mushroom Retainers, as his adventures continue. Mario has even been accepting enough to team up at times with his greatest foe, Bowser.

Luigi is Mario's taller, younger, twin brother. Luigi first debuted alongside Mario in Mario Bros. in 1983, fighting off the many enemies as a plumber. Luigi reappeared in Super Mario Bros. for the NES, playable only in the two-player mode of the game. He later appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2, being playable in one-player mode for the first time along with Toad and Peach. Luigi has appeared in many of Mario's games, but there were some from which he was excluded — among which are Super Mario Land and Super Mario 64.

Princess Peach — originally "Princess Toadstool" — is the damsel-in-distress of the series. Princess Peach is the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and is protected by many Toads. However, her protection commonly fails and eventually results in her being kidnapped, be it by Bowser, or by another villain. In Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario 3D World, Peach is one of the playable characters and one of the main protagonists.

Toad originally played the role of Princess Peach's assistant, as well as her guide and guardian throughout her travels; however, he has been reduced to lesser roles since his debut appearance, with his role in main games having sometimes been replaced by Toadsworth. His first playable appearance was in Super Mario Bros. 2. Though he appears identical to many others in his species, Toad is actually an entirely different character; this causes much confusion as to whether or not certain Toads are the Toad discussed. Similar confusion occurs regarding whether he's the same as the character resembling Blue Toad in Super Mario 3D World.

Princess Daisy served as the damsel-in-distress only in her debut game: Super Mario Land. She is the ruler of the country Sarasaland which is inhabited by many various species not found in the Mushroom Kingdom. Although she is the only known ruler, her father was mentioned by her in Mario Party 3. She was kidnapped by the evil alien Tatanga who took her and hypnotized the inhabitants of Sarasaland. After Tatanga's defeat by Mario, Daisy was rescued and the Sarasaland kingdom was restored. Since Daisy's return to the Mario series overall (starting with the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Tennis), she has been a frequent participant in a majority of spin-off installments however after 28 years, Daisy officially made her reintroduction in the Super Mario series by appearing in Super Mario Run as playable protaginist.

Yoshi is Mario's dinosaur companion and one of his most trusty allies during his adventures. In many games Yoshi is present, he is always disposed to give Mario a ride on his back; while riding him and under Mario's command, Yoshi can use his long chameleon-like tongue to swallow a diverse variety of objects, including enemies. Yoshi also supports additional abilities Mario is unable to do on his own like Yoshi's signature Flutter Kick. Super Mario 64 DS features Yoshi as a standalone playable character. In fact, the game opens with Yoshi as the sole playable character that needs to rescue Mario and co. Though he lacks power, he compensates this with his ability to swallow enemies and turn them into an egg, which in turn serves as a homing projectile to take out several enemies at once.

Wario is Mario's yellow-clad, greedy childhood friend and rival. Though he has antagonized Mario since his debut in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Wario proved to be a valuable ally during the events of Super Mario 64 DS, where he, alongside Luigi, originally came to "crash the party" of Mario and Peach. Wario is the strongest character in the game, being able to destroy some obstacles the other character would have no choice but avoid them. Wario holds the distinction of being the only villain in the Super Mario series to have become a playable character.

Rosalina debuted in Super Mario Galaxy. She reappears as a playable character in Super Mario 3D World, which makes her the second female protagonist along with Princess Peach. She is the adoptive mother of the Lumas, which are also popular to Super Mario Galaxy. Her main duty is to watch the Lumas and help keep the galaxies safe. Throughout Super Mario Galaxy, Rosalina gives helpful and important advice and tips to Mario.

Supporting characters

Character

Image

Brief biography

First appearance

Toads

Toads are the major residents of the Mushroom Kingdom many many other parts of the Mushroom World, most are loyal subjects of Princess Peach. Unlike the Toads that that serve as playable characters, these non-playable Toads usually bring assistance to Mario and co. in their adventures like hosting the Toad Houses mini-games to earn power-ups or extra lives. In their original appearance in Super Mario Bros., many Toads were transformed into inanimate objects like bricks by Bowser's black magic, while seven important Toads were held kept captive at the end of castle levels. Some Toads seen in Super Mario Bros. 3 seem to serve the kings of each world. In Super Mario 64, Toads were imprisoned within Peach's Castle's walls and paintings, providing some hints to Mario when finally found. A group of six Toads accompanied Mario and Princess Peach on their vacation on Isle Delfino in Super Mario Sunshine. The Toad Brigade was introduced in Super Mario Galaxy, where each member was given a distinctive personality. In Super Mario Run, winning rallies awards the player with numerous Toads to habitate the player's kingdom.

The Co-Star Luma is an orange Luma that can be controlled by a second player in Super Mario Galaxy 2 when in Co-Star Mode. However, its movement is normally limited to following Mario, although it is capable of immobilizing enemies and picking up items from afar.

Pauline was originally introduced as the original damsel-in-distress Mario had to rescue from Donkey Kong's clutches. Presented as Mario's girlfriend, this has long being retconned in her modern appearances that describe her simply as a close friend to Mario instead. Despite being the first female character introduced to the Mario franchise, it took her 36 years to finally appear in a mainstream Super Mario game in Super Mario Odyssey where she is presented as the mayor of New Donk City.

Main antagonists

Character

Image

Brief Biography

First Appearance

Bowser

Bowser is the main antagonist throughout the Super Mario series, first appearing in Super Mario Bros.. He is the King of all Koopas, and is found to be the final boss in almost all platformers. Commanding the Koopa Troop, Bowser sets to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom by kidnapping its rightful ruler, Princess Peach and holding her captive on his heavily guarded castle. He deploys a countless amount of minions to stop anyone that oppose him. Mario and Luigi have to traverse his castle in order to reach the final confrontation against Bowser.

Wart is the main antagonist and final boss of Super Mario Bros. 2. He is leader of the 8 bits, an evil organization that set to conquer the land of dreams known as Subcon; to do so, Wart uses a device called the Dream Machine to create countless amounts of monsters. Wart has one weakness though, he is highly allergic to vegetables. Mario and co. use this to their advantage when they finally confront Wart. With vegetables provided oddly by the Dream Machine, Mario and co. are able to defeat Wart and free the Subcons that were imprisoned by him, bringing peace to Subcon.

Tatanga is the main antagonist in Super Mario Land. Tatanga invaded the kingdom of Sarasaland with the intention of conquering it, he brainwashed its inhabitants to do his bidding and captured Princess Daisy to marry her. Using the Sky Pop, Mario eventually takes down Tatanga on the skies of the Chai Kingdom and finally rescues Princess Daisy. Tatanga comes back in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins to serve as the boss of the Space Zone, where he has been entrusted by Wario with one of the 6 Golden Coins, so Mario has to battle him once more to retrieve it.

Wario made his debut on Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as the main antagonist. It is explained by Mario that Wario has always been jealous of his popularity since they were kids and has tried to steal his castle several times. Wario was able to succeed when Mario was away to free Sarasaland from Tatanga's invasion. To prevent Mario from entering the castle, Wario scattered the 6 Golden Coins all over Mario Land and now are guarded by his underlings. Mario eventually recovers all the Golden Coins, enters his castle and confronts Wario in the throne room. Wario engages Mario in battle using several power-ups but despite his best efforts, he is ultimately defeated and flees. Wario would set to appear in other titles in the series, including many Mario spin-offs and even star his own series.

Bowser Jr. is Bowser's son and first appears as the main antagonist in Super Mario Sunshine where he took the persona of Shadow Mario. He has then appeared throughout the Super Mario series as one of the main bosses. He kidnapped Princess Peach who he thought she was his mother. He is the heir to the Koopa throne.

Blue Bowser is a dark turquoise member of Bowser's species that is distinct from the Fake Bowsers, as he looks the same when he falls offscreen. His identity is currently stated to be unknown, but in the past he has been considered to be Bowser's brother and later an oddly-colored Fake Bowser. There are fake versions of him as well.

Boom Boom is one of Bowser's henchmen. He is an antagonist in the Super Mario series. Boom Boom first debuted in Super Mario Bros. 3, where he battles Mario or Luigi in fortresses, Boom Boom then later made his return appearance in Super Mario 3D Land as one of the game's main antagonists who often appears in airships, along with his partner Pom Pom.

Reznor are fire-breathing Triceratops that made their debut in Super Mario World. According to the game's instruction manual, they were cursed by Bowser. They are mid-bosses that Mario and Luigi fight in fortresses found everywhere on Dinosaur Land. They are now found in the Mushroom Kingdom since their appearance in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Similar to how the Koopalings are named after various musicians, Reznor are named after Trent Reznor of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails.

Kamek is an old, yet powerful Magikoopa and apparent advisor to Bowser (or at least high-ranking member in the Koopa Troop), and the archenemy of Yoshi. He is the main antagonist in the Yoshi franchise while being one of the main bosses in the Super Mario series.

King Bob-omb, formerly Big Bob-omb, is a large Bob-omb with a crown, mustache, and no key. He first appeared in Super Mario 64, where he is the first boss. He is fought twice in the remake, and has appeared semi-frequently in spinoffs.

Cosmic Mario is a dark blue entity shaped like Mario from Super Mario Galaxy. He looks similar to Shadow Mario, but Mario must race him for the star. He is capable of many of Mario's moves. If the player is using Luigi, Cosmic Luigi will appear instead, and use more shortcuts. In Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3D Land, similar creatures called Cosmic Clones appear. However, they follow Mario or Luigi's exact movements, which can be troublesome if one needs to hold still for a moment or cross a previously-walked path.

Pom Pom often appears on airships where she could fight Mario or Luigi. Pom Pom shares her name with a loose, fluffy material used by cheerleaders and sports fans, or in crafts, the pom-pom. She is related to Boom Boom.

Common and recurring enemies and obstacles

Species

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Brief biography

First appearance

Goomba

Goombas are one of the most common enemies in the Super Mario games, as well as the first and among the most basic. These shiitake-like creatures were once members of the Mushroom Kingdom, but turned traitor when Bowser attacked. They can be defeated with a single jump. They appear in most games; however, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Land, Super Mario World, and Super Mario Sunshine do not feature Goombas, with their role being given to the Goombo in Super Mario Land and the Strollin' Stu in Super Mario Sunshine. Super Mario World features the related Galoomba, but they are tougher.

Koopa Troopas are common turtle-like foes that retreat into their shells when jumped upon, or in some cases, get knocked out of them. They are among the most basic enemies, and are also one of the most common. They were originally depicted as quadrupedal, but starting with Super Mario World, they begin to walk on two legs, with some exceptions, like in Super Mario Galaxy. Typically, green ones will walk off ledges they come to, while red ones turn away from them. While sometimes simply known as "Koopas," not all Koopas are Koopa Troopas. According to Super Paper Mario, Goombas have had a long-held fear of Koopa Troopas, presumably because of their indestructible and hard-hitting shells.

Koopa Paratroopas are Koopa Troopas with wings. With some exceptions, the green ones either hop along or move left and right, while the red ones fly up and down. The rare yellow ones in Super Mario World instead chase Mario on foot, and will jump over obstacles. Jumping on them causes them to lose their wings.

Piranha Plants are carnivorous plants that often live in Pipes, although they are also found planted in the ground, especially in the 3D games. Normally, they cannot be jumped upon, but this isn't the case in the 3D games after Super Mario 64.

Cheep Cheeps are fish that are typically depicted with wing-like fins and mohawks, although there has been some variation. While they normally swim or jump, their exact behavior may vary drastically by game. However, the New Super Mario Bros. series features variations of Cheep Cheeps with different behavior; Deep Cheeps chase Mario and are like normal Cheep Cheeps in every other sense, and the Spiny Cheep Cheep will do the same, but much more aggressively, and will not stay frozen due to the spikes.

Bloopers, formerly Bloobers, are white squid-like creatures that usually follow Mario through the water with dangerous speed and accuracy. The ones of Isle Delfino instead travel on land near water, and spit ink, and die if they fall in the water.

Shy Guys were Wart's main troops in Super Mario Bros. 2. They are notable for their amount of subspecies, but have for the most part been relegated to spinoffs. In Super Mario Bros. 2, the red ones walked off of ledges and the pink ones turned around. The pink ones were blue in the remakes.

Bob-ombs are walking bombs. In some games, they actively chase Mario before exploding; in others, they won't ignite until Mario attacks them. In the Paper Mario series, they are noted for their short tempers.

Spike Traps are areas of sharp, pointy spikes that can power down the Mario Bros and can take away health and lives. Spike Traps are either stationary, retractable, attached to a moving object, or any combination of these positions. Yoshi, however, is normally immune to their harmful effects.

Micro Goombas, also known as Mini Goombas and Small Goombas, are miniature Goombas. They are often parasitic, weighing Mario down; these are sometimes called Mugger Micro-Goombas. There are also a kind that hides under Brick Blocks and jumps with them; these are Pile Driver Micro-Goombas. The ones in Super Mario Galaxy, however, were barely smaller than ordinary Goombas, and had rounder heads, looking vaguely like Goombos. They were also olive green.

Spike Tops are spiked Buzzy Beetles with the ability to walk on almost any surface, including walls, in addition to being immune to fire and stomping. They were initially depicted with six legs, although that has long since been abandoned. They are currently depicted with angry faces in comparison to Buzzy Beetles.

Fish Bones are skeletal Cheep Cheeps. Originally, they swam forward, occasionally darting. In Super Mario Galaxy, they were given a more torpedo-like appearance and behavior. New Super Mario Bros. Wii switched to a design similar to the original, but kept the torpedo-like behavior. Honebon is also stated to be a skeletal Cheep Cheep, but it slowly swims in an upside-down "V" pattern.

Mechakoopas are wind-up toys resembling Bowser. Jumping on them usually causes them to go into a dormant state, where they can be picked up and thrown. In Super Mario Galaxy, they are bulkier, only go dormant when hit with a Star Spin, can't be picked up, and breathe fire.

Tox Boxes are cube enemies with one hollow side Mario can stand under without getting crushed. The ones in Super Mario 64 and the ones in Super Mario Galaxy have vastly different appearances, as well as slightly different Japanese names.

Pokey Heads are single-segmented Pokeys. While they have technically appeared since Super Mario Bros. 2 due to Pokeys being reduced to a head when their segments are destroyed, the Pokey Heads from Super Mario Sunshine are distinguished by their different behavior, in which they disguise themselves as flowers and pop out of the ground when approached, slowly hopping after Mario. The ones in Super Mario Galaxy were green. Due to this version appearing in Super Mario Galaxy 2, they are also notably the last Pokeys to have the floral design.

Cataquacks are blue creatures resembling both ducks and Wiggler segments, and are native to Gelato Beach. When they see Mario, they will chase him and fling him up in the air, but are unlikely to damage him. In Super Mario Galaxy, they are outright unable to damage Mario, but Mario is unable to defeat them. Also in Super Mario Galaxy, they respawn if they fall in water. Super Mario Sunshine also has an aggressive red type that will damage Mario far easier. Additionally, green and purple ones appear in the Mario Kart series alongside blue and red ones, but they all act the same there.

Sentry Beams are primarily laser-using robots, with various types, such as a purple one that can be bounced upon and shoots rings of electricity, a green one that can also be bounced upon but releases Topminis, a yellow one that makes electric rings but has a top resembling a screw, or sometimes is covered in spikes, and a grey kind that shoots lasers straight at Mario and isn't bouncy. Ring Burners are similar.